Emergency-service Incentives Sought

SOMERS — The volunteer fire and ambulance services are hoping that the town will help them by offering $1,000 incentives to attract and retain badly needed personnel.

The fire commission voted unanimously Thursday night to ask the board of selectmen to implement two new incentive programs for volunteers -- a $1,000-a-year break on local property tax bills or $1,000 a year in gas card credits.

``I think it will make a huge difference. Towns all around us offer incentives,'' said Bob Wheeler, chairman of the fire department's ambulance service, where the shortage of volunteers is the most critical.

``EMTs are our weakest link,'' Sciaretta said. ``We've got about 17 people on the ambulance roster but five people are doing most of the calls'' from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays, he said.

There are now nine part-time paid personnel who combine firefighting and EMT duties during the day and on some weekends. Two full-timers run the department.

``If we get enough people, we wouldn't need paid people on weekends,'' Sciaretta said.

Responding to a statewide need, the legislature this year gave towns the option to offer tax abatements to emergency service volunteers.

Wheeler and Somers Fire Department President Douglas Snowdon said part of the difficulty in attracting volunteers is the amount of training required under state and federal rules. Firefighters must complete 150 hours of training and get recertified yearly, while EMTs have to go through a six-month course, pass state and federal tests and take state and federal refresher courses every two years, the department spokesmen said.

``It takes a year to get volunteers through entry-level training. It's a little different than normal volunteering where you sign up for a committee and just start,'' Sciaretta said.

The incentives would only be given to firefighters and ambulance personnel who are highly responsible about attending drills and responding to calls.

Somers now offers a small pension to volunteers and reimburses them for gas used in the performance of their duties.